1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to foil filaments containing tobacco and comprising tobacco particles, water, binding agents and moisturizing agents and to a method and apparatus for producing foil filaments containing tobacco.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the tobacco-processing industry, a large number of possibilities are known for processing residues of the tobacco processing. For instance, DE-PS 1,782,854 discloses a nozzle having a plurality of nozzle passages for producing tobacco rods from tobacco waste which on the one hand comprises an outlet extension which is disposed at each mouth region of each nozzle passage and which is provided only over a portion of the periphery of the corresponding nozzle passage. On the other hand, each nozzle passage may comprise in its mouth region an outlet insert which has different coefficients of friction at opposite sides. If a raw mass containing tobacco is now pressed through the nozzle mouths, substantially helical tobacco rods are formed which however have only a low stability and a low filling power.
DE-OS 1,692,917 discloses a method of producing smoking tobacco employing a nozzle head in which a rotatable frustroconical insert is disposed.
DE-PS 1,432,576 discloses a method for producing smoking tobacco for utilizing tobacco constituents which are collected in the processing of tobacco. For this purpose, the tobacco raw mass is rolled out between two rollers, the resulting tobacco rod being torn into individual pieces due to different peripheral velocities and discharge velocities of the tobacco material. This method also gives only unstable results which moreover have a relatively low filling power.
A further method is known from EP 0 039 647 B1 in which a tobacco-containing raw mass is pressed via an extrusion device through a sort of mesh sieve, thereby forming tobacco-containing filaments or tobacco rods. A further method and an apparatus for producing crimped fibre pieces from reprocessed tobacco can be seen from DE 33 39 247 C1. In the latter, a tobacco-containing raw mass is expelled via an extrusion device from a special nozzle head in which a frustroconical insert is disposed and is divided into filamentary intermediate products. The tobacco-containing filaments which result therefrom also have the disadvantages of the prior art discussed above. This also applies to the method according to DE 40 05 656 A1, which relates essentially to a drying and expansion apparatus following the apparatus according to DE 33 39 247 C1.
EP 216 926 A1 relates to a method for producing tobacco-containing foil filaments, and as in the method according to DE-PS 1,432,576 a tobacco mass is rolled out between a roller pair to form a tobacco-containing material web and thereafter scraped from one of the rollers by a doctor blade. Here as well, the stability and filling power of the product leave much to be desired.
Finally, from DE 31 18 472 A1 a tobacco product is known, and a method for the production thereof, in which a raw mass containing tobacco material is expelled from a nozzle mouth via a mandrel. The resulting tobacco material hose then has approximately the diameter of a commercially usual cigarette. At certain intervals, corresponding to the length of commercially usual cigarettes, a portion of a tobacco-containing raw mass closing the tobacco material hose is introduced via a passage led axially through the mandrel. As a result a continuous hose of tobacco material is formed which can be severed at the points defined by the sealing tobacco portions and thereby gives tobacco portions corresponding to a finished cigarette. However, here as well the completely different smoking behaviour and lack of acceptance by the consumer are a disadvantage.